Our New Beginning
by mr-winkie
Summary: [Chapter 9 up!] Sequel to 'Path from Within'. What does fate have in store for Keitaro and Kitsune as they start a new life and family together?
1. Our New Life

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 1 – Our New Life

From their hotel suite, a slightly tired Keitaro stood in the balcony overlooking the city of Hong Kong; the night sky glowed as neon lights, giving everything outside a soft hue of many different colors. Even though they've been here for a little over two weeks, the young man was amazed at the sight before him – in all the times he spent out at night in any given place, he'd never seen anything like it before. Gazing at the street below, he could see the first wave of party-seekers and barflies getting ready for another night of fun.

"Hey there stranger," said a familiar voice from behind. "You look a bit lonely all by yourself."

Keitaro then felt a pair of slender arms wrapping around his waist...followed by a kiss on his cheek. Turning his head in surprise he sees Kitsune, his new wife, smiling back at him. Despite the difficulty of fatigue associated with a trip such as this, just being with each other was enough to instill energy in the newlyweds.

A sly smile formed on Kitsune's face. "Want me to keep you company for the evening? "

"I'm sorry to say this, but I'm taken," laughed Keitaro.

"Is that so...wish I could be that girl," replied Kitsune, a fake tone of disappointment in her voice.

With that the two pulled closer and shared a tender, passionate kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke their lips. Keitaro smiled as Kitsune giggled at what they've done – they would've never guessed that something like this would happen to them three years ago.

"So Kitsune...I take it your ready to head back home," said Keitaro, making his was back inside their room.

"Yes...time sure does fly by," Kitsune commented, following him inside. "But I definitely enjoyed the nightlife here."

"That's good," replied Keitaro, easing himself into a chair. He groaned slightly as dull pains grew in both of his legs.

A concerned Kitsune kneeled next to the chair. "Keitaro are you sure that you want to go out tonight?"

Ever since the two began dating a few years back, Kitsune began to worry about his health and general well being. In turn Keitaro had always assured her that he'd be all right – citing the many instances of being punched, kicked, burned, being launched into the air since he took over the duties as the Hinata Sou's manager.

"I'll be fine," he replied, rubbing his thigh. "It just a little soreness from all that running after the wedding."

"Still?" said his young wife. "Man, I really wished Motoko and Naru wouldn't respond that way every time something like that happens."

"Forget about it," he replied, waving his hands dismissively. "It's just one of those things that happens."

"If you insist." Kitsune smiled, and walked into the bathroom. "I'm gonna change real quick...it shouldn't take me long."

"Okay," he answered.

Keitaro got up and proceeded to inspect their belongings one last time. Satisfied that everything was in order, he walked over to the bed and sat down, running his hands down his face. As he got ready for bed Keitaro heard the bathroom door open.

"We all set for tomorrow?"

"Everything's ready," he answered, turning toward her. "Al we have to-"

Keitaro was left utterly speechless, to say the least, when he saw what Kitsune was wearing. Instead of an oversized shirt she wore the last few nights, she had on a slender red-nightgown – one that he saw her wear only once before. Kitsune, on the other hand, couldn't help but give her trademark foxy grin at his reaction.

"Something the matter?" she teasingly asked.

'Oh...wow,' Keitaro thought nervously, his eyes devouring the sight before him.

* * *

The relatively quiet Hinata Sou was buzzing with activity as the remaining residents ran from one task to another at a frantic pace. In the middle of the hallway stood Haruka keeping an eye on the clock and making sure the girls didn't inadvertently hurt themselves when they moved from one task to another. 

"You know, you guys wouldn't be running around like this if you did this last night like I suggested," the older woman called toward the kitchen area.

Naru stuck her head out of the doorway. "We started last night – but the more we clean, the more banana goop appears!"

"Su, why exactly did you feel the need to make that..._infernal_ contraption of yours?" asked an irritated Motoko, scraping the last of the sticky substance off of the ceiling.

"Well...I thought that making a machine that peels bananas and makes all sorts of dishes out of them would be great," commented Su, who was too busy eating the aftermath of her machine's trial run rather than cleaning. "But I guess it still has a few kinks."

"Su don't eat that!" exclaimed Shinobu. "You don't know where it's been!"

"But it's a waste to throw it all in the garbage," whined Su.

Naru sighed and shook her head as she wringed the mop for another pass on the floor. "Oh let her Shinobu – less stuff to take out to the curb."

Haruka shook her head. "Every time I think I've seen and heard it all, I just have to come here...and I realize one thing."

"And what would that be what?" asked Motoko, wringing her washcloth.

"I haven't seen a damn thing."

"Hey! How much time do we have until Kitsune and Keitaro come back?" asked Naru.

"Got plenty of time," answered Haruka, looking at her watch. "A little more than an hour, I say."

At that moment, the group heard the distinct sound of a car pulling up. A heartbeat later, the residents kicked it into high gear cleaning – or eating in Su's case – what remained of the forty or so pounds of mashed banana that currently covered the kitchen. Haruka glanced at her watch and shook her wrist.

"Hmm...remind me to get a new battery for my watch," she said to Naru.

"Finish up what you're doing and let's head to the front," said Motoko.

With their task complete for the moment, the girls washed their hands and made their way to the main entrance. Taking a seat in the living room, they heard the door opened and shut. Soon enough the happy couple stepped inside exhausted from the trip back. Haruka was the first one to get up to greet them

"We're home," announced Keitaro, dropping their luggage. "Hi aun...Haruka. "

"Much better," said Haruka, then turned to her niece-in-law. "Now you better not start calling me 'aunt' either, okay?"

Kitsune laughed lightly. "Oh lighten up – there's no harm doing it."

"Glad to see you guys again," said Naru.

"I hope your trip was enjoyable," said Motoko.

Kitsune nodded. "It was."

"Did ya bring me back some bananas?" asked Su.

"Yup," replied Keitaro, "they're in one of the suitcases."

"Hopefully it survived the trip," commented Kitsune.

"So what are you two going to do now that your back?" asked Shinobu.

"Well, Kitsune and I are gonna move her things into my room...now that we're married and all," answered Keitaro as he and Kitsune took a seat on the couch.

"But eating dinner sounds good right about now," commented Kitsune.

"Umm...yeah, about that," said Naru nervously. "Hehe...it's kinda funny but..."

"Cooking isn't an option, right?" finished Keitaro.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Su. "But the good news is that we got the majority of the banana mush cleaned off."

Kitsune smirked. "Only in the Hinata Sou."

"Oh we're sorry Sempai," cried Shinobu. "I know we promised to take care of the dorm while you two were away, but–"

"It's alright," said Keitaro. "How 'bout we all eat out instead?"

"Actually that doesn't sound half bad," commented Naru. "There's a new ramen place downtown that we could go to."

"Yay! Ramen!" shouted Su.

"I'm up for some ramen myself," added Motoko.

Kitsune got up. "Well then, let's go – better to go and beat the evening rush."

The others quickly got up and grabbed their coats while Keitaro and Kitsune moved their bags in the manager's room for the time being. Once everyone was outside Keitaro locked the front door and they walked of for dinner. The whether was ideal for a walk, considering that it was almost seven in the evening. Fifteen minutes later the group reached their destination

* * *

The streets that were once filled with activity lay virtually deserted. The sounds of cicadas and the gentle hum of streetlamps accompanied the sounds of talking and laughing. As the small group made their way back to the dorm Kitsune and Keitaro told the others about their honeymoon. Keitaro was surprised to see the other girls listening intently on the subject. While Keitaro talked to the others, Kitsune and Haruka, lagging behind, were having small conversations of their own. Somehow, the subject changed to something more..._personal_, to say the least. 

"So Kitsune," asked Haruka, her hands under her chin. "Did you two...already decide to, uh...you know...have a family?"

"Huh," said Kitsune, a slight blush on his face. "You mean...did we, uh..."

Haruka nodded, delighted to put Kitsune in an embarrassing situation for a change.

"Haruka, isn't that a little inappropriate to ask a young married couple such as us?" said Kitsune in a fake chiding voice. "After all, there are impressionable minds present here."

Haruka smirked as they reached the base of the stairs that lead back to the dorm. "But did you guys end up consummating like tradition dictates?"

Before she could answer, their attention snapped toward the group ahead – who was about halfway up the stairs.

"Hey Keitaro, you won't mind if ya carry me back up, would ya?" exclaimed Su.

"Su, I don't think that's a good-," started Keitaro, who was carrying the majority of the leftovers from dinner.

Before the poor manager could finish, Su leaped up and landed perfectly on his shoulders. Unfortunately, this shifted his center of gravity and caused him teeter off of the steps. While Su was unaware of the chain of events that she'd started, everyone else knew what was about to happen next...and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Su, get off of him!" cried Kitsune.

It was too little, too late. As Keitaro fell back, Su bailed at the last moment landing next to Naru. Keitaro was not as fortunate as his body began hitting every step on his way down. He finally came to a stop at the bottom, only to have food of all varieties splatter on top of him. Kitsune rushed to her husband side, a look of shock and concern on her face.

Keitaro!" she cried, fearing the worst as she knelt beside him." Are you okay! Say something!"

"Ah...ouch," he answered, slowly getting up.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Kitsune sighed in relief. "Come on – let's get you cleaned up."

Kitsune gently wrapped her left arm around his waist; she then took both of his hands into her free one and guided him back up the stairs where everyone else was waiting anxiously. Haruka sighed in relief seeing that her nephew would be okay, being helped by her niece. As she is about to join the others, she realized she'd never finished her conversation with Kitsune.

"Oh well," she said to herself. "Maybe I'll talk to her again about later."

With that she proceeded up toward the Hinata Sou.

* * *

**A/N** – Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed Path from Within and those who've suggested that I write a sequel. I hope to see a lot of feedback on this story, because I literally thrive on reviews – especially ones that give me a lot ideas and suggestion that can help improve my skills as a writer. 

Well that enough from me – you all know what to do now! I'll try to get chapter 2 up by next week at the earliest!


	2. Settling In

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 2 – Settling In

It was the same morning routine yet again for the residents of the dorm as everyone readied themselves for the long day ahead – Haruka got the Tea Shop ready for business; Motoko, Su, and Shinobu gathered all their things for school while Naru finished going over her lecture notes from yesterday's classes at Toudai in preparation for Finals week. They were all at the table eating breakfast and chatting amongst themselves. The only exception for this morning was Kitsune and Keitaro, who at that moment were holed up in the bathroom.

Kitsune was hunched over the toilet as she threw up for a second time. The familiar taste of vomit and last night's dinner was present in her mouth, making her more nauseated than she was a second ago. Keitaro helped her to her feet and the two walked over to the sink.

"Kitsune you don't look so well," said a concerned Keitaro, gently stoking her back. "Maybe we need to take you to the doctor."

"It's because of dinner last night," replied Kitsune, splashing water on her face. "Probably ate some bad ramen."

"Are you absolutely sure Kitsune?"

"I'm fine Keitaro, really," Kitsune took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "See – no more nausea and dizziness. I just gotta remember never to eat at that ramen restaurant again."

"Well if you insist," replied Keitaro. "Come on – let's have some breakfast with the others."

The pair walked down to the dinner table in time to see the others finishing up. Naru was the first one to acknowledge their presence.

"About time you two showed up," said Naru.

"What took you guys?" asked Su. "You had a rough night or something?"

"No," answered Keitaro. "Kitsune felt a little ill this morning."

"Really?" asked Motoko. "Perhaps you should see a doctor."

"I could make you some tea before I go," added Shinobu.

"Guys, I'm fine," said a slightly annoyed Kitsune. "I just need a little breakfast in me and I'll be good as new."

"There's no point in reasoning with her," commented Keitaro. "Believe me."

"You're one to talk," replied Kitsune playfully elbowing him in the side.

As the two took their seats at the table, the others began to leave. Before stepping out herself, Naru stopped and turned back to Keitaro.

"Don't you have lecture today Keitaro?"

Keitaro shook his head. "I finished this school year a few weeks early, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," replied Naru, remember the many sleepless nights Keitaro had trying to cram all of that studying in.

"Have a good day at lecture Naru," said Keitaro.

"I will," she replied, stepping outside. "You two behave alright?"

"We are _haved_," jokingly replied Kitsune.

* * *

Within the confines of the Hinata Sou, the sounds of boxes being pushed and pulled along with furniture being moved could be heard. On the second floor of the dorm, Kitsune and Keitaro were spending the late afternoon moving some of Kitsune's things into Keitaro's room. There wasn't much else going on today, so they figured that now would be a good time to start rearranging their things to their liking. 

Kitsune hummed silently as she unpacked one of the boxes and placed some of its contents on Keitaro's desk. As she was about to picked up the next item, a small picture frame caught the corner of her eye. Stopping for a moment she gently picked it up to get a closer look. It was a group photo taken shortly after Keitaro had taken over as the dorm's manager – the fox girl smiled as she began to think about Keitaro's arrival.

"Looks like were done with the easy part, "said Keitaro placing a box on the floor. He then notices Kitsune looking at the picture.

"Do you remember when you first came to the dorm?" asked Kitsune, setting the picture frame back on the desk.

Keitaro laughed, and moved toward his wife. "How could I forget – you and Naru were pretty ticked off once you first saw me in the hot springs."

"Yeah. It was a good thing Haruka showed up when she did," commented Kitsune. "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be here now would we?"

"Probably not," said Keitaro and smiled. "You and I went from being tenants, to friends, to lovers "

"And finally as husband and wife," added Kitsune, "Mitsune Urashima...I still can't believe it."

"Who would've thought, right?"

"Right...but it feels a bit strange seeing all my stuff like this," commented Kitsune motioning to the boxes in the room. "I always thought my stay here was only gonna be for a short while"

"Well, it's our home now," said Keitaro, taking her hand into his, "and I'm glad I'm going to be sharing it with you."

Kitsune smiled and wrapped her arms around Keitaro, who in turn did the same. "All I have to say is that I'm glad that things worked out."

Kitsune planted a chaste kiss on his lips. A moment later the two continued to finish the task at hand.

"Is this all that you want moved Kitsune?" asked Keitaro. "You still have a few thing in your old room that we didn't even touch."

"I just brought the basics like clothes and a few picture albums," replied Kitsune. "The rest of the stuff isn't that important – just a couple of trinkets and novelty items I was thinking of sending back home."

"What about all those sake bottles in that cabinet? You still want to keep those?"

Kitsune shrugged. "I don't know. It'd be nice to have for parties and stuff...but I'm not planning on drinking to excess like I used to anytime soon."

Keitaro smiled and nodded in approval. The phone began to ring on his desk, getting their undivided attention. After it rang for a send time, Kitsune picked up the receiver and put it on the side of her head.

"Hello," she said, and began to listen intently. "Yes, he's right here – hold on."

Keitaro raised his eyebrows slightly. "Who is it?"

"Someone from Toudai's Undergraduate Department," she answered, handing him the receiver. "Sounds important."

Keitaro took the phone from Kitsune and spoke into the receiver, "Hello? Yes this is Keitaro Urashima."

While Keitaro talked to whoever was on the other end of the phone, Kitsune kneeled down and began to pull her things out of the few boxes that lay before her. At that moment, she began to feel a bit nauseated yet again. Not wanting to worry Keitaro again, she took a deep breath and tried her best to steady herself.

"Okay. Sure, that sounds fine," said Keitaro to whomever was on the other line. "Thanks for the info. Yes, I'll be there. You too."

With that, he hung up the phone. Grabbing a pen from the desk drawer, he scribbled something down on the pad of paper and took quick glances at the wall calendar.

"So what was that all about?"

"There's going to be a seminar that the Archeology Department holds each year," answered Keitaro, placing the pen on the table. "Seems that a spot just opened up, and they wanted to make sure that I was still interested in attending."

"That's great," commented Kitsune, trying her best to hide her illness. "When is it?"

"It's in a couple of days," he answered, then notices Kitsune's condition. "Kitsune...are you feeling okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she replied, waving him off and then tried to change the subject. "Hey, weren't you going to show me what I need to do around here now?"

Keitaro moved to her side to get a closer look. "Of course, but are you feeling up to it? We can do it some other time if you'd like."

Kitsune laughed nervously. "Keitaro you worry too much. Besides, I need to start taking care of the place, don't I?"

"Well, if you insist."

Keitaro grabbed his notebook from his desk drawer and the two proceeded to walk around the Hinata Sou. The young man showed his wife what chores needed to be done first, how to clean the onsen and the hot springs, where some of the tools were and so forth. Kitsune nodded at each comment, but wasn't paying too much attention to what Keitaro was saying. After a good half an hour had passed, the pair stopped in the living room.

"And that's pretty much it," Keitaro said. "Nothing too hard – just a lot of small things to remember."

Kitsune nodded. "And if anything needs to be repaired?"

"Let me take care of it," he laughed. "I mean, considering what happens her on a regular basis..."

"I see you point."

Keitaro glanced at his wristwatch. "Shoot – I forgot I needed to take care of some business at the post office today."

"You better hurry then," said Kitsune, "it's about to close in an hour."

"Want to come with me?" he asked, grabbing his coat.

"N-No," answered Kitsune. "I think I'll be fine by myself."

"Alright," Keitaro said, giving her a small kiss. "I'll be back soon."

Gathering what he needed, the young man left. The moment Kitsune heard the door close was when her nausea swelled to an unbearable level. As quickly as she could, she made her way to the bathroom and threw up this morning's breakfast. Taking deep breaths, the fox girl walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on her face.

"That it," she said to herself. "No more ramen – ever. Probably got some damn food poisoning or something."

Kitsune began to walk back to the living room. 'A small nap like always would help – it always had wherever I had a bad hangover.'

Lying on the couch, Kitsune began to feel fatigue setting in. It seemed to her that the day took a lot more out of her that she realized. Yawning, she stretched her body to fullest length.

"I guess...I guess seeing the doctor tomorrow won't hurt," she said silently before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

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* * *

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**A/N** – That's it for chapter 2! I just wanna thank everyone who read the first chapter – I hope that I'll meet all of your expectations as this story progresses.

Okay then – everyone knows the drill! Please feel free to leave me a review and I'll have chapter up, hopefully, by the end of this week.


	3. An Unexpected Gift

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 3 – An Unexpected Gift

"Time to get up Kitsune," said a voice. "Come on, rise and shine."

Kitsune slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. As her vision came back into focus, she sees Haruka standing over her. The older Urashima woman cracked a rare smile at her.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," she simply stated. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, until you woke me up," said Kitsune. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Around four," she replied. "Looks like you've been working hard, what with moving into Keitaro's room and all."

Kitsune ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

Haruka furrowed her brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Just a queasy stomach."

Before Haruka could respond the front door swung open, grabbing their attention in full. Keitaro stepped into view carrying a shoebox-size package under his left arm. He then proceeded to remove his coat before turning to the two Urashima women before him.

"Hi guys. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Nope," answered Kitsune, getting up. "What's that you got there?"

"I dunno," he answered, setting the box down on the coffee table. "It's from Grandma Hina and my sister."

"Oh yeah," said Haruka, "she _did_ mention that she was gonna get you something that may be of some use to you."

"Really?" questioned Kitsune, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like there's only one way to find out."

Keitaro nodded in agreement. Picking up the pair of scissors from a nearby desk, he proceeded to cut away the many layers of packaging tape. Once the box was free of its bindings, he opened it up and dug around the unnecessary amount of packaging peanuts. Finally grasping something solid, he pulled out what looked to be some sort of baton, a foot in length that was rounded on both ends – several symbols were etched all around the circumference.

"What the heck is this thing?" asked Keitaro, handing it to Kitsune.

"Well it's definitely not a baseball bat," the fox girl commented, tossing the object in the air and catching it. "It does have some good weight to it. We could probably use it crack open some nuts or something."

Haruka began to snicker and shook her head. "Oh god – I told her to get you guys something more traditional."

"Um...do you know what this thing is for?" asked Keitaro.

Haruka smirked. "Well, let's just say it's suppose to help your chances of having...you know."

"What!" exclaimed a shocked Keitaro. "You mean that thing is for–"

Kitsune eyes grow wide and nearly drops the object, surprised about its true intentions. Haruka quickly raised her hands before things start to go out of hand.

"No, no it's isn't for _that_," she says, "it's suppose to bring a couple good fortune when try to you know, start a family."

Kitsune stared at her in disbelief. "That's what it's for? Why would Grandma Hina send us something like that?"

She shrugged. "Well, I guess she wanted to be able to experience the joy of being a great-grandmother."

Just then the door opened yet again – a sure sign of the other residents returning from a long day. Kitsune placed the object back in the box and unceremoniously slid it back underneath the coffee table. Naru was the first one to appear before them, followed by Motoko, Su, and Shinobu.

"Hey guys," said Naru, and noticed their rather subdued demeanor. "Did we interrupt something?"

"No, not really," answered Haruka. "We were just discussing the virtues of family life."

"Well, if that's the case," commented Motoko, "we'll all just go about our own business until it's dinnertime."

"We are?" asked Su.

Shinobu nudged the foreign girl's side. "Of course we are Su – besides I need to start dinner soon anyway."

With that the four girls went off to do their regular thing – except for Su, who was determined to sample and add her own ingredients to the resident cook's meal for tonight. Haruka rubbed the back of her neck and began to make her way to the front door.

"Better get ready to for the evening rush," she comments.

"See you later then," said Keitaro.

"Yup," replied the older woman, then walked off.

Kitsune turned back to Keitaro and sighed. "I still can't believe Grandma Hina sent us that...thing."

Keitaro smiled. "I'll be the first to admit that she isn't like any other grandmother...but that isn't necessarily a bad thing is it?"

Kitsune shook her head and smirked at him. "Nope – that's what makes the world go round."

* * *

The next morning, there was more activity around the Hinata Sou as the residents prepared for the new day. Kitsune watched from the living room couch as the others milled about in an excited fashion. 

"Can't believe today is the last day of the school year!" exclaimed Su.

Motoko nodded as she picked up her bag. "Indeed. Seems as though time had gone by rather quickly than ever before."

"I can't believe that you're graduating this year," added Shinobu. "Thinking about applying to go to a University?"

"Of course."

"That great to know," commented Naru. "Anywhere in particular?"

"To be honest Naru, I was thinking of trying to get into Toudai," Motoko said, "and, that you and Urashima are students and all..."

Keitaro smiled. "Say no more – if you need help studying, feel free to ask either of us for help."

Motoko couldn't help but smile. "Thank you for your support."

After hearing this, Kitsune perked up in interest. She needed an excuse to head into town to see the doctor without arousing Keitaro's suspicion. Sitting up, she put on her trademark foxy grin.

"Well, given how important the day is for you Motoko," she comments, "I think that a small 'reception' is in order for the young girl."

"Kitsune, you don't mean another party do you?" inquired Motoko.

"Oh, nothing like that," she answers with a grin. "Just something that you'll be able to look back on years from now."

"Alright, enough chit chat," said Naru, "it's time for us to get going!"

"Have a good day everyone," said Keitaro, show the girls out.

Kitsune stands up and stretches. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

Keitaro reached in his back pocket and pulled out his workbook. "Nothing major, really. The only real thing that needs to be taken care of is the onsen – that shouldn't take very long."

"Well if that the case, then I hope you won't mind if I head into town," comments Kitsune. "Need anything while I'm out?"

"Not really," he answers. "Gonna get a few party favors or something?"

"Something like that."

"I see," said Keitaro, and smiled. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry," she replies, "I'll be fine."

The young woman gathered up her coat and purse from their room. As she did so, the fox girl felt a bit guilty for not telling him the other things she'd be doing in town. But she knew that he'd worry if she told him that she was going to the doctor. Having her husband stressing over something as dumb as food poisoning was the last thing she'd want to do to him.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kitsune sat in the waiting room flipping through another magazine that was about a year old. Sighing she tossed it back on the large pile of dog-eared, wrinkled magazines before her. 

"Jeez, you wait her for an hour so the doctor can see you for fifteen minutes," she whispered to herself, glancing at her watch. "How messed up is that?"

The door on the other side of the room swung open. "Mitsune Urashima."

Kitsune got up and walked over to the nurse. "Yes?"

"The doctor will see you now," she said, "Right this way please."

The nurse led her down a short corridor, examination rooms on either side. After being lead into one vacant room she was instructed to take a seat. A few minutes later Doctor Laura Haruna, stepped in. The woman, nearly in her late forties, has been Kitsune's primary doctor ever since she started living in the Hinata Sou. She always gave her a good checkup whenever one was needed along with giving some helpful advice from time to time. This made the fox girl comfortable – the Doc reminded her of her mother in a way.

"Hello Mitsune," the Doctor said, smiling. "I see you've gotten back from your honeymoon in good health. How's everything going?"

"Everything's going okay," she answered.

"How's married life?"

"Could be any better," she answered.

Doctor Haruna sat in a nearby chair and pulled out a chart. "So what brings you here today?"

"Well," said Kitsune, "I've been feeling a bit ill lately. A little nauseated too."

"Ill?" inquired the doctor. "When did this start occurring?"

"A couple of days ago," answered Kitsune. "Me and Keitaro just got back and decided to eat out with the others at this new ramen place downtown."

"Oh yeah, I know which restaurant you're talking about," commented Doctor Haruna. "Really good noodles."

Kitsune laughed lightheartedly. "Well, since then I've been having nausea for the past few days. It come sand goes, but every time I get it, I just feel like throwing my guts up."

"I see."

Kitsune sighed. "I just hope it's nothing to really worry about. The last thing I want to do is stress out Keitaro over this."

"That what we're here to find out," replied the Doctor. "We'll start out with a few tests."

After a preliminary checkup, Kitsune gave Doctor Haruna a blood and urine sample for analysis. Kitsune was then made to sit in the examination room until the urine test was completed, assured that it wouldn't take very long. During that time alone the young woman hoped that it wasn't anything too serious.

"Gotta remember to get some stuff for the party tonight," she said to herself.

The door opened and in stepped in the Doctor, test results in hand. Kitsune's anxiety shot up through the roof at that moment as the doctor took a seat in front of her.

"I think I've found out what's causing you illness Mitsune," said Doctor Haruna, "just as I had suspected."

**A/N** – That's one more chapter down, several more to go. I'm sorry for how late it took me to write another chapter, but schoolwork here at MSU had gotten my full attention for the two weeks. Rest assured, though, I haven't abandoned this story and I plan on finishing it as it progresses!

That's all from me for now – please by all mean read and review and I'll try to get chapter 4 up ASAP!


	4. Changes

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 4 – Changes

Kitsune walked back to the Hinata Sou in a state of euphoria. After receiving the results from Dr. Haruna, the young woman couldn't believe it. Stopping in front a store window, she took a long look at the glass' refection.

"Me…of all people," she thought, a smirk on her face. "And to think Keitaro played a huge role in it."

Her hand instinctively rested on her stomach. The fox girl couldn't help but think about the new life that was inside of her. Truthfully, she never gave a second thought when it came to having kids and starting a family of her own. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"Now how should I break the news to everyone?" she mused.

Kitsune continued to walk down the street, pondering the best way to make her announcement. Glancing around her surroundings, her eyes soon lock onto a nearby shop currently displaying several bottles of wines and assorted liquors. An idea soon popped into her head, followed by a familiar fox grin gracing her features.

"I know just the way."

* * *

Keitaro milled around the onsen, methodically scrubbing each area with the deck brush. Although he was focused on finishing the task before him, Keitaro couldn't help but have other things on his mind; it had been the first time in months that he had a chance for reflection. He had always thought that he knew what tomorrow might bring, but his view in terms of predicating his probable path in life changed day he and Kitsune confessed their feelings and began dating three years ago Now that they were married, he didn't know what fate might have in store in the near future. Keitaro couldn't help but be a little intimidated by that. 

Finishing up the last part of the onsen, the young manager shouldered the deck brush and walked back to the closet. Tossing it inside, he pulled out his workbook from his back pocket and flipped to today's date.

"Let's see…the onsen's now clean, the windows have already been washed on the ground floor," he commented, turning a page. "Hmm…looks like there isn't anything else to do that really needs my attention."

Stuffing the small workbook back in his pocket, he walked toward the bathroom and washed up. Considering that this was one of those rare occasions of not having to toil the rest of the day away, Keitaro decided that a little relaxation was in order. Reaching the living room, he plopped down on the couch.

"I'm back," said a familiar voice, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

Keitaro smiled as Kitsune walked up, bags in hand. "Did you get what you needed for tonight?"

Kitsune grinned and held up a couple of bottles. "You know it. Considering that it's Motoko's first night free from the rigors of high school, I figured that it was only appropriate to get some things to make it unforgettable for her."

"Just promise me you won't go overboard," commented Keitaro.

A familiar foxy look formed on his young wife's features. "Oh, you know me – Miss Moderation."

With that she proceeded up the stairs and out of site. Keitaro sighed and shifted his weight into a more comfortable position. Despite his best efforts, he could help but feel that something big was about to happen tonight.

* * *

Later that evening the small festivities were anything but moderate. The girls milled around, congratulating the young swordswoman for her accomplishments. Keitaro was surprised that everyone was alert, despite it being almost ten o'clock – but at the rate he party's progression is going, he wouldn't be surprised to see everyone sleeping in until noon tomorrow. 

"How 'bout another drink Motoko," offered Kitsune.

"Uh, no thanks," commented Motoko, pushing the cup away. "I think one drink is good enough."

"Oh come on – you're going to get exposed to this sooner or later," said Kitsune, playfully nudging her side. "Might as well get used to it by experience it in the safety of the dorm."

Sighing, a reluctant Motoko took out her glass as Kitsune filled it back up. Naru walked up toward them and sat next to Keitaro, holding a glass of sake of her own. Seeing the scene before her made the Toudai student smile and shake her head.

"Poor thing," she laughed lightheartedly, and then sighed. "I remember Kitsune doing the same thing when I graduated."

"I take it that it was a night to remember," Keitaro commented, smiling.

"Well to put it bluntly, it felt like my head was in a vice for the reminder of the week," replied Naru, taking a sip of her drink.

A moment later, Su and Shinobu appeared form the kitchen, joining everyone else in the living room. While the girls were busy enjoying the evening festivities, Keitaro leaned back on the wall and relaxed, watching the seen unfold before him. It had been a while since he had seen all their girls have fun.

"Having fun?" asked Haruka standing next to him, her arms folded across her chest.

"Hehe…yeah," replied sheepishly. "It feels like it's been ages since we were having fun like this."

"I think it was Einstein that said that time was relative," Haruka commented. "Better enjoy these kinds of moments while they last."

The two Urashima's watched the current tenants of the Hinata Sou, having a good time. At this point in the party, it seems that Motoko's serious demeanor has given way to a more subdued one to say the least – seemed to Keitaro that his wife's power of persuasion has claimed another poor individual.

"Au– I mean Haruka," started Keitaro, but quickly corrected himself, "…do you think…well…"

"Do I think about…what?"

"Do you think we'll ever have moments like these in the old inn?" he asked. "I mean…it seems that someone had hit the fast-forward button on time itself and…well…"

Haruka chuckled. "You're worried that you'll all drift apart, right?"

"Something like that," he answered. "I dunno…maybe I'm just thinking way too much on what's happened recently."

"I think that the problem – you're thinking too far into the future," comments Haruka, "take it one day at a time. I don't want you to worry so much about the future you begin to neglect the present."

Keitaro felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Thanks…really."

Haruka gave him a half-smile. "Hey…what are relatives for?"

* * *

There was a stillness that hung throughout the Hinata Sou as Keitaro sat on the roof. The party had ended almost an hour ago, although it was because none of the girls had the stamina to stay up to the wee hours of the morning – with the exception being of course Kitsune. Although he wasn't present to witness the party's end, the fact that the sounds of celebration gradually faded in obscurity certainly told him. As he stood on the deck, he heard someone walking up behind him. Turning around, he spots Kitsune with her trademark foxy expression along with a blanket in hand. 

"Figured you'd be here Keitaro," she comments, sitting next to him.

"I take it the party's over."

"Yup," replied Kitsune. "I could've been up here sooner, but I had to take care of a few things."

Keitaro cocked his head to the side. "Like what, exactly?"

Kitsune laughed lightly. "Let's just say that when I tell Motoko that she snores after having a few drinks, I'll have the evidence to support it.

Keitaro smiled and turned his gaze to the stars above. "What brings you out here?"

Keitaro sighed, turning his gaze up toward the stars. "Nothing really."

"Is that it?" asked Kitsune, wrapping the blanket around both of them. "Well if you really wanted to think about nothing, might I suggest you bring a blanket – it's a bit chilly out here."

"Point taken," Keitaro comments, smiling. "To be honest…I just came up here to think."

"About what?" asked Kitsune.

Keitaro sighed. "Well…I guess I just realized that things are changing faster than I thought."

"Kind of crazy isn't it?"

"Yeah," answers Keitaro. "But change is a part of life – it's not necessarily a bad thing."

"Speaking of change," comments Kitsune, "how'd you like to have another one?"

"Huh…what are you talking about Kitsune?"

Kitsune smirked. "Well, what would you say if we needed to start thinking about…our little Urashima?"

Keitaro stared back at Kitsune surprise, his mind a complete as the young manager thought about what she was implying. After what felt like an eternity, slowly put a hand on Kitsune's shoulder. Looking straight at her, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"A little Urashima…as in…a child," he said slowly, still in disbelief. "Our child?"

Kitsune nodded.

His eyes grew wider. "Which means…you…you're…"

"…Pregnant." Kitsune said finishing his sentence.

Realizing that it wasn't a joke, Keitaro was overjoyed. Wrapping his around her and smiling from ear to ear was excited that they were about to have children together. Suddenly the events of earlier that evening crept in his mind as his natural instincts began to kick in.

"W-Wait! Kitsune, Haven't you been drinking all this evening!" he exclaimed, resting his hand on her stomach.

"There's nothing to worry about – I filled up on non-alcoholic wine all this time. I didn't want to arouse too much suspicion with the gang," giggled Kitsune and kissed him on the cheek for reassurance.

Keitaro sighed in relief. Even though they've been together for a while, he should've realized that she's still sly as ever. He pulled himself closer to her and wrapped his arm around the small of her back.

"Hehe…I still having trouble believing it," commented Keitaro. "But I'm happy all the same."

"Yeah, I can see our little girl now," replied Kitsune, envisioning their child. "She'll have your sweet personality along with her mother's gorgeous looks – probably be an instant hit with the guys also."

Keitaro grinned and formulated his own vision of their child. "_He_ will definitely have his mother's sense of charm and personality along with his father looks. He probably won't do that many sports, but he'll most likely find time for other things like writing or art."

"I think it's _way_ to early to figure out what our kid will be interested in or not – hell we don't even know if it's gonna be a boy or girl," she laughed, laying her head on his shoulder

"I guess you're right," said Keitaro.

The pair sat on the roof, letting time pass by. Keitaro was still trying to get over the fact that he and his young wife were about to be parent soon, but the more he thought about it the more he liked it. After what seemed like an eternity, he got up.

"Come on, let's go to bed – we can make the big announcement to the other later in the morning…or when ever they'll all be up."

Kitsune nodded and got up. As the pair made their way to their room, Keitaro couldn't help but smile as he came to a simple conclusion – he and Kitsune were about to start a family of their own.

* * *

**A/N –** Hi guys and gals…it's been a long time hasn't it. I feel _really_ bad and I'm very sorry for not updating sooner. I know the last time I said that I'd update regularly, but school ended up taking a lot more of my time than I thought. Believe me I'd give both my legs just to get one day to write, but I guess it's better late than never, right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 4. I'm not really sure when I'll write chapter 5, but let me assure you I haven't abandoned this story – no sir! Send me your input and I'll try to get chapter 5 up a little more sooner next time!


	5. An Announcement and a Promise

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 5 – An Announcement and a Promise

Keitaro could feel the warmth given from the sun, as he awoke to a new day. Instinctively, the young man moved his hands to his face and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. As his vision came into focus, he looked over to his right to see Kitsune still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her up just yet, Keitaro quietly slipped out of bed and proceeded to get dressed. Just as he pulled his shirt over his head his eyes gazed on a small picture frame that lay on his desk, containing two important photos – one of him and Kitsune at their wedding, and another group photo of all the tenants.

Thinking back on the night before, it still seemed hard to believe that he and Kitsune were going to be parents soon. It's going to be a shock to their families once they make the announcement…but more so when he tells the girls. The only real problem is how the girls were going to take it From his experience, a simple slip of the tongue or accidental circumstances that were beyond his control has led him to see the business end of Naru's fist or Motoko's sword – or both. He shuttered to think what the girls' reaction would be.

From behind, Keitaro heard a long yawn alone with the sound of sheets being moved about. Turning around, he sees that Kitsune sitting upright in the bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning," she said sleepily, "what time is it?"

"Almost ten," answered Keitaro.

Kitsune got out of bed. "Really? Hmm, looks like we're gonna be waking up the rest of the gang…that is unless they're up already."

"After last night, it'll be a wonder if they'll be able to get up at all."

The young woman began to get dressed as usual, until she notices something odd about Keitaro. Moving over to his side, she wraps her arms around his waist and sits her chin on his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" she asks, cocking her head to one side.

Keitaro sighs and picks up the picture frame. "Well to tell you the truth…I'm just a little worried about…you know…"

"How the others are gonna take the news, right?"

Keitaro nodded, causing Kitsune to sigh. The young man knew that she of all people knew how her close friend could jump overboard as well as Motoko – the little incident at the conclusion of their wedding made it evident. Despite being married and all, they both had a reason to be a little concerned.

"Keitaro…sweetheart," she said, "I know that this could…shake up the others, more so for two individuals in particular. Hopefully they won't overreact as badly as before."

Keitaro turned to her and gave her a small smiled. "You're probably right…but we'll just have to see now, don't we?"

"Kitsune smiled back and kissed him on the cheek. "That's the spirit…and if worse comes to worse, the after affects of last night haven't worn off yet on those two."

Setting the picture frame back on his desk, Keitaro and Kitsune made their way down toward the living room. Sure enough, everyone was present – the only people that were awake were Haruka and Su, who were busy trying to wake the others up. The smell of breakfast meant that the resident chef had already started cooking for everyone. After being aware of their presence, they turned their attention to the young couple.

"Morning guys," said Keitaro.

"Good morning," answered Su, and cheerfully waved at the couple.

"Morning you two," Haruka said, and cocked an eyebrow at her niece. "I thought you of all people would be down here after the party?"

"Well, I have a really good reason why I shouldn't drink to a drunken stupor anymore," she answers.

"We'll explain once we wake up everyone else," said Keitaro, trying to quell the expression of confusion on his aunt's face.

After much persistence by Su and the Urashimas, they finally managed to rouse Motoko, and Naru up from their dream world. It took a moment for the three to realize what exactly was going on, but it became clear to everyone that last night's party had taken its toll on those who were actively involved. On any other day, it would've been a humorous sight to see – but it didn't really help ease the anxiety Keitaro was feeling at that moment. Considering the bombshell he and Kitsune were about to drop on everyone present, it was hard to judge what their initial reaction would be.

"Ugh," groaned Naru. "Jeez…that's the last time I'm partying like that. Ever."

"Kitsune," said Motoko rubbing her head to ease the pain. "Kitsune, I don't recall having dizziness and an enormous headache part of the fun."

Naru then turned her attention to her friend. "Kitsune, how are you able to stand upright after last night. You drank as much as I did."

The sound of someone walking toward them made everyone present turn toward the kitchen area. Shinobu, still in her usual apron, appeared from the doorway.

"Morning everyone. Glad to see everyone is finally up," said Shinobu, but then realized that everyone had stopped talking. "Is…um…something wrong?"

"Good morning Shinobu," said Kitsune, "and no, nothing's wrong. Is just that me and Keitaro have something we want to share with you."

The young girl cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Keitaro and Kitsune looked at each other as the others looked on earnestly. The young manager took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, steadying his nerves for what he was about to say.

"Well…um, there isn't an easy way to say this," started Keitaro, fidgeting slightly. "Kitsune and I…well…um, what I wanna say is that…"

Kitsune wrapped an arm around his shoulders and grinned. "What he's trying to tell you guys is that he and I are gonna be parents soon!"

The moment the fox girl uttered those words, it seemed that time itself came to a screeching halt. The expressions on all the other girls ranged from surprise, disbelief, absolute shock, or a mix of all three. The extended silence made the whole situation that much more awkward – it also made Keitaro more nervous. Haruka was the first one to speak.

"Wow…I would've never guessed," the older woman said quietly.

"Sempai…you and Kitsune …" a shocked Shinobu said.

"Good thing all those blows to your body didn't prevent you from having kids," commented Su cheerfully. "Look like you were able to have some fun with Kitsune after all!"

Naru sat up as if she was hit with ten thousand volt of electricity. "Kitsune, you mean to tell me you're pregnant! And that he…and you?!"

"This is…unexpected," commented Motoko, still in a state of shock herself. "How is this possible?!"

"Well Motoko," stated Su, "when a man a woman _really_ love each other the man takes his–"

"Su!" everyone said in unison.

"We've all taken _that_ particular class before – I don't think we need an explanation on how these things are done," commented Haruka.

Keitaro laughed nervously. "A-Anyway…um…yeah. Me and Kitsune are having a baby."

Shinobu clasped her hands together. " Sempai, I'm so happy for you! Kitsune, you are so lucky that you get to experience something like this!"

"Thanks Shinobu," replied Kitsune, smiling.

Kitsune and Keitaro then turned their attention to Haruka. The older woman turned away pulled the unlit cigarette out from her mouth, obviously aware of the health risks associated with smoking. Turning back to them, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Once again, I find myself torn – on one hand, I'm happy that you two are going to have a family of your very own," she said, and then laughed. "Unfortunately for me, it's means I'm now the sister of a grandfather."

Kitsune put on her trademark foxy grin. "I see your point but…you know, it just sort of happened."

Keitaro then shifted their focus on Motoko and Naru, both of whom were sitting on the couch. Their facial expressions clearly showed that they both didn't know how to react exactly. Keitaro looked at Kitsune nervously, then looked back at the two. The young man tensed up as he prepared for each of their reactions.

"So guys," he said, scratching the back of his head, "um…hehe…what do you think of the news?"

Motoko and Naru looked at each other for a moment, then back at him. They both slowly got up from the couch and moved toward the young man. Motoko took a deep breath and let out a long, calming sigh while Naru closed her eyes tightly as if she was suppose to remember something. It was clear that the two young girls were making an effort to restrain themselves from their initial instincts – after everything they've all been through since taking over as manager of the Hinata Sou, it was obviously grating against everything they believed him to be as well as several instances of perverted tendencies.

Naru sighed, opened her eyes and looked at him in his. "Congratulations…I'm sure that you and Kitsune will be great parents."

"I'm happy also that you and your wife are having a child," Motoko said placing a gentle, but firm hand on Keitaro's shoulder. "But remember this – ignore your responsibilities to your family and you'll have to answer to both of us."

"Geez you two, enough with the dramatics!" said Kitsune defensively, moving to Keitaro's side. "This guys would never do such a thing now would he."

"That's right," added Keitaro, wrapping his arm around Kitsune's waist. "I would never do that to her. I'd die first before doing that."

Motoko removed her hand from Keitaro's shoulder, smiled slightly and nodded in approval. "I'm glad to hear that you would."

From the corner of his eye, Keitaro could see that Naru had her eyes closed again, but this time it looked as though she as in deep thought. Before he could ask his former study partner anything, the young cook broke the silence that lingered in the air.

"Well since that's settled, why don't we all go have breakfast," chimed Shinobu, making her way to the kitchen.

"That's the second good thing I've heard all day," exclaimed Su, who quickly followed.

While Keitaro followed the others to the dining room, he felt someone tug on his arm slightly. Turning around, he sees that Naru holding onto his arm.

"Hey Keitaro – can I talk to you for a moment later today," she asks, quickly glances behind him, "alone?"

Keitaro turns to see Kitsune standing a few feet from them. His young wife had her arms crossed across her chest as she leaned against the wall. Looking down at the floor for a brief moment, she looked back up and nodded, telling him that it was all right.

"Sure."

* * *

Keitaro was sitting in the manger's room, staring outside. He still wondered what Naru wanted to talk about with him, but whatever it was, it concerned Kitsune – if it wasn't something that involved her, she'd be there as well. Whatever Naru wanted to say to him, it must be important he thought. Just then he heard the sound of the door sliding open, Turning around, he sees Naru standing there with a slight blush on her face. 

"What took you so long?"

The longhaired girl walked toward him and took a seat across from him. "Su brought on this…_pictorial diagram_…and asked her if you two…well, I guess you can imagine."

Keitaro felt his cheeks warm up. "R-Right. So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Keitaro, I know you wouldn't do anything to Kitsune," she said clasping her hand together, "and I believe you."

"And I won't, if that's what you're wondering."

Naru nodded and smiled at his comment, leaving him more confused than before. Earlier that morning, she seemed reluctant to accept the news. Now it seemed as if someone flipped a switch in her head completely changing her personality from before. Naru broke her gaze from him and turned it toward the window.

"Kitsune's my best friend. She's always been there for me – even now," Naru continued. "But I guess I just wanna make sure she'll be okay. What I'm try to say is…well, you're good with promises, right?"

"Of course I am," replied Keitaro.

"Well…can you make a promise to me?" she asked. "Promise me that you'll always be there for her – that you'll be by her side…and you'll watch out for her."

"Naru you know that I'll always–"

"Promise me," she interrupted turning back to him. "It's important to me to hear that you will."

Looking deep into Naru's eyes, the young man could tell that she was being serious. Whether it was the realization that things were changing or it was the simple fact that her best friend was entering an important stage in her life, Keitaro felt obliged to fulfill to her request. She's his wife's best friend after all – if someone married any of the other girls, he'd probably ask the same thing from their husbands.

"I promise Naru," Keitaro replied, smiling at her. "I promise that I'll always be by Kitsune's side."

Naru smiled, seemingly satisfied with his reply. "Thank you Keitaro. I really appreciate it."

With that, Naru got up and walked over to the door and slid it open. She looked back at him and gave a smile that seemed genuine. Stepping out into the hallway, her figure disappeared.

* * *

Inside the adjacent room, Kitsune got up from the small holes she'd drilled a few years back – it seemed that her pervious handiwork back then when she just lived next door has paid off. Leaning against the wall, Kitsune couldn't help but feel a little choked up from what she just heard. A small, sad smile formed on her face as she remembered all the good times she and Naru had together. 

'I was always the one who had to look out for you Naru," she thought. 'Don't worry about me…I'll be okay.'

With that, Kitsune quickly covered up the holes and walked out of her old room.

**A/N** – I hope everyone enjoyed chapter five; it took me a while to figure out how to write the big announcement, so I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations. I have several ideas about which direction to take this story, but if you have any suggestions I'd be willing to hear a little input via a review or by dropping me an e-mail.

Anyway I got some homework that I've been putting for some time that needs my attention now – just FYI, I try to put any major announcements on my profile, so check there if you're wondering why it's taking me so long to update. Please feel free to leave your comments/reviews and I'll have chapter six up soon.


	6. Family Bonds

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 6 – Family Bonds

Haruka sat in the Tea Shop counting how much she made for the day, as well as balancing the figures for the basic necessities for the dorm. Going over the bills again, she couldn't get over how long it takes to fill out the payment for basic utilities like water and gas. Thankfully the expenses weren't as high as they used to be, especially now that the common sight of her nephew launching into the stratosphere and the fact the Su decided to switch over to a new form of cost-efficient energy for her inventions. Whatever that may be no one bothered to ask…or wanted to know for that matter. Satisfied that everything was in order, she put the paperwork for the Tea Shop away and gathered up all the bills and expenses for the old inn into a folder. Locking the door and with papers in hand, the older woman made her way up the Hinata Sou.

It had been almost six months to the day since Kitsune made her big announcement to everyone. So far the young mother-to-be was fairing well, and judging by the size of her stomach the future Urashima is doing fine as well. To ease the burden of running the Hinata Sou, Haruka had been helping keep track of the bills and managing the money for a few weeks now. Naru, and Motoko also helped out by doing some of the more menial tasks like dusting and assisting Keitaro in cleaning in and around the hot springs – even Shinobu lent a helping hand on top of her normal duties. Su used to pitch in now and then… until her inventions began to create more problems then solve, unfortunately. As Haruka stepped inside the main entrance, the presence of soapsuds in and on everything in the living room made it was clear that Su tried to help again. Motoko and Shinobu were busy mopping up the floor until thy noticed her.

"Let me guess…Su tried to help mop the floor, right?" Haruka asked, folding her arms across her chest.

The swordswoman nodded. "It's fortunate that she didn't shatter some of the dinner plates when she went to wash the dishes like last time."

"Good point," commented Haruka. "You two know where Keitaro is? I have the bills and papers he wanted."

"He and Kitsune are in their room on the phone," answered Shinobu, wringing out her mop.

"There was also a small package that arrived addressed to Kitsune," added Motoko, walking over to the coffee table. "Since we're…preoccupied at the moment, could you take it up to her?"

"Not a problem," she replied, taking the small parcel from the older girl.

At that very moment, the mad inventor herself came running down the staircase with another contraption strapped to her back. Apparently the other girls saw it too, and ran up to Su as the young foreigner slid to a stop.

"It's ready!" exclaimed Su. "Now you all don't have to worry about any messes again!"

"Su please, not another one," pleaded Shinobu. "We're still cleaning from you last one."

"I know," she answered. "That when I remembered this little baby I whipped up for such occurrences! I call it–"

"We don't care what it's called," interrupted Motoko, "just get it out of here – can't you see we're almost finished with the mess your last contraption made!"

"If I saw that you two were still cleaning, I wouldn't want to give a demonstration," said Su, causing the other two girls to gawk at her. "But since you two did, all the more reason to give this its first field test!"

"Haruka, can't you help us out," pleaded Shinobu. "Please?"

Haruka sighed and shook her head. "Sorry – you two are on your own on this one."

Leaving the three girls to their own devices, she began to make he way to Keitaro and Kitsune's room. She felt a twinge of guilt leaving the girls to fend for themselves, but experience has taught her that situations like that hardly ended well and without some kind of mess or structural damage to the old inn. Maybe that's why the insurance rate is so high she mused. As she approached the manager's room, she could her both her niece and nephew talking. Hearing them talking on the phone at the same time could only mean one thing. Sliding the door open, sure enough they were both on the phone with their respected parents – a very pregnant Kitsune on a cell phone and a strained Keitaro on the cordless phone.

"Hi guys."

"Hold on for a second mom," said Keitaro. Lowering the phone, he smiled and walked over to his aunt. "Hi. You finished the paperwork already?"

Haruka nodded and handed the folder to him. "Yup. Expenses have been taken cared of for this month and October, and a package."

"Thanks," replied Keitaro, setting everything on the desk and preceded to put the phone back to his head. "You were saying mom. Yes I know you were successful to raise me healthy but still…"

Kitsune huffed in irritation as she listened to the other person on the other end of the line. "No, I haven't been eating anything that's 'unhealthy'. Yes, I've written your suggestions down. Alright I'll write them down again."

"More nutrition tips?" asked Haruka

"That and more," Kitsune replied, rolling her eyes. "You know, my folks suggested we get this cell phone for emergency purposes but now it seems like it's just another way for my mom to give me her two cents worth."

Haruka couldn't help but laugh as Kitsune took a pen and pretended to write in the air. The sight of seeing her niece and nephew trying to coupe with motherly advice amused her…even though it was at their expense. It was moments like these that made her value being single. After they announced they were expecting to have a baby in a few short months, everyone on both sides of the family was giving them advice about one thing or another. At first Keitaro and Kitsune welcomed it with an open mind – now it's becoming a more and more annoying after being told what to eat, what music is good for the baby, and so forth. The one thing that amused her the most is when Kitsune's mother and her sister-in-law's advice on the subject contradicted the other.

"Yes mom, I understand your reasoning, but we have no clue what gender our baby is yet. Yeah, Keitaro is on the phone with her…why do ask?" Kitsune gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Keitaro. "My mom wants a word with yours, sweetie."

"Umm…how do you propose to do that?" asked Keitaro, placing his hand over the receiver.

"Allow me," answered Haruka.

Relieving them from the phones, she flipped the cell phone upside-down and clamped the two phones together. Moments later the voices could be heard as the two women on each end began a heated discussion. Haruka smirked at the young couple.

"Simple huh?" she commented, handing the phones to Keitaro.

"Whatever works I guess," Kitsune shrugged, then noticed the small wrapped box. "Hey what's this?

"No clue," replied Haruka. "Just arrived for you earlier today. Has you parents' address on it, though."

Kitsune looked at the small item, looked at it for a moment, and tossed it on top of her coat.

"Well, I'm going to head back now and open up the Tea Shop for this afternoon," says Haruka, giving the phones to her nephew. "I'll leave this little conversation with you."

"Thanks…now we can expect them to talk for a while longer," sighed Keitaro.

Suddenly the sound of a small explosion followed by the walls shaking for a brief moment caught their attention. Moving toward the living room, Haruka stopped short as she saw what happened. Not only there was dirt everywhere, but also all the cleaning that Motoko and Shinobu did went up along with Su's invention.

"Su! I thought you said that infernal machine was one hundred percent bug-free?" cried Motoko.

Su shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "Oopsies."

"Aww, now we have more to clean!" cried Shinobu.

'So much for a peaceful afternoon,' Haruka thought glumly. 'Hope the dorm is still in one piece by the time Kitsune delivers.'

* * *

Kitsune was lying back on the sofa, trying to enjoy another peaceful, yet boring evening. Normally she'd enjoy this moment with a bottle of sake or a can of beer…but given the current circumstances it wouldn't be a very good idea to indulge herself in alcohol like before. It was abnormally quiet as well, which was a bit unnerving for the girl – the other girls were soaking in the hot springs while Keitaro was busy fixing up a few things in another part of the dorm. 

'God, I can't stand this!' she thought, getting up. 'Maybe sitting outside on the deck will get my mind off of things.'

As she made her way to the laundry deck, Kitsune thought about how these past few months had been. Ever since she found out that she was pregnant, her doctor told her what to do and what not to do until she gave birth. Obviously she had to refrain from drinking, smoking, or eating any raw food products for fear of food borne pathogens. Another aspect was refraining from strenuous work and avoiding the use of the hot springs because the risks the high heat posed to the developing fetus. Other than the abstaining of eating certain types of food, it at first sounded like what she normally did around the Hinata Sou – lounging around doing nothing. But in no time she found herself doing the same routine, evening after evening…and it was beginning to annoy her to no end.

As Kitsune stepped out onto the deck, she moved toward the railing. As she stared out on the horizon, she could see the suns rays turn into a hue of red and orange – a gentle autumn breeze swirled all around her, chilling her slightly. Taking a deep breath, the fox-eyed girl had a new appreciation for nature as her boredom began to recede. It was times like these that appealed to her the most. As she stood there, the sounds of footsteps from behind her caught her attention. Turning around she saw Naru coming over to her, a small smile on her face.

"Hey Kitsune, " she said, now stand by her side. "What brings you out here?"

Kitsune tiled her head to one side as she leaned against the railing. "Nothing, really…just trying to break the boredom."

"Oh, I see," commented Naru.

"What about you?"

"Well…I came just to think for a bit," answered Naru. "You know – gather my thoughts."

The two friends stood there staring off into the distance. In a way it was a bit nostalgic for the fox girl – the countless times they'd spend together when they first moved into the dorm. It was moments like these that made the problems of the world seem almost nonexistent.

"So, did you two decide?"

Kitsune wrinkled her brow. "Decide about what?"

"A name," her friend answered. "I mean, you're due in about three months so I figured you had a few names in mind already."

Kitsune smiled and instinctively put her hand on her stomach. "To be honest, the topic hasn't even come up yet."

"Better start coming up with a few names then. You don't wanna end up giving him or her a name randomly drawn from a hat now do you?"

Kitsune smirked. "Actually Naru, that doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Hey, you said it – not me," commented Naru.

Kitsune smiled and turned back toward the horizon. "Time sure flies, doesn't it?"

Naru nodded. "That's true."

"Hey Naru…can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Well…do you ever wonder…if…you know," Kitsune said hesitantly, "if you and Keitaro…"

"Oh," said Naru, then turned her gaze to the darkening sky. "To be honest, I really don't know."

Kitsune looked at her old friend intently as she continued. "I mean, if it were meant to be then…fate would've made it work somehow."

"I see," commented Kitsune thoughtfully.

"But I don't deal in _'what ifs'_." Naru added, and smiled. "And I'm glad things worked out this way."

Kitsune slung an arm around Naru's shoulders and smiled. "Thanks Naru – but let's not get all too emotional just yet, okay?"

Naru laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot – you're not the type for tender moment are you?"

"Seriously though, I appreciate the gesture. Thanks."

Just then a noise coming from the direction of the stairway caught their attention. Naru quickly made her way to the top of the short stairs. The longhaired girl then put her hands to her hips as Keitaro's figure slowly came into view, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well look who it is. What the heck happened to you?" asked Naru

"Hehe, I guess I wasn't paying to much attention."

"Clumsy as usual. Man, some things never change," Naru commented lightheartedly, shaking her head.

"Oh lay off the poor boy – he can't help it that he has to run the dorm, unlike some people," said Kitsune, smirking. "What brings you out here Keitaro?"

"I finished with all the things that needed some attention outside, and I saw you two up here," he answered. "I thought it might be cold, so I brought your coat too."

"Well, I'll leave you two alone," announced Naru. "Don't be out too late."

"Have you been talking to my mom too!" groaned Kitsune.

"Pay no attention to her," said Keitaro. "Here, put this on before you catch a cold."

Kitsune took her coat from him and slipped it on. Putting her hands in her pockets, she felt a small object inside one of them. Pulling it out, she immediately recognized the small package from earlier.

"It looked important," commented Keitaro, "so I figured you'd want to see what it is."

"It better not be anymore vitamins or anything like that."

Tearing the brown paper of nonchalantly, Kitsune was surprised to find a simple white box. Opening it and sliding what was inside into the palm of her hand, Kitsune was surprised to see an object she hadn't laid her eyes on for ages.

"What is it?" Keitaro asked.

"It's my old music box. My parents bought when I was born," she answered softly. "They used to play it for me whenever I couldn't sleep or when I was upset."

As she opened the lid, a soft melody filled the air around. Gazing inside, she noticed a folded letter addressed to her. Taking it out, she opened it and immediately recognized the handwriting:

_Dear Mitsune,_

_I hope that you and Keitaro are feeling well, in spite of your mother's constant calling. I know that she can be a bit overbearing but trust me, she was the exact same way when Akane was pregnant with you nephew. Anyway, she and I were searching the basement for some things and we found your music box. We know how much it means to you, so your mother and I decided to give it to you when you and Keitaro. Your mother and I hope that you'll play it for your child as we had, and bring you lots of love and joy for your family as much as it did with us.  
_

_Love always,_

_ Dad and Mom_

Folding up the letter, Kitsune couldn't help bit feel a bit choked up. She soon felt Keitaro's arm wrapping around her back as he pulled her closer to him. She looked up to see a gentle smile on his face.

"That was nice of them to give it to you," he commented. "I'm sure the baby will enjoy listening to it."

Kitsune cleared her throat to regain her composure. "S-Speaking of which…did you already decide on a set of names?"

"Names?"

Kitsune rubbed her stomach and cocked her head playfully to one side. "You know who for…or do you think it'll be easier to draw a name from a hat?"

"Truthfully, I really haven't given it much thought," Keitaro stated somewhat flustered at her comment. "Did you think of any names?"

"You caught me there – I haven't given it much thought either," Kitsune laughed, putting her foxy look. "We better come up with some then…but not now – some of us need a good night's rest."

"Already? It's only a little past seven when I checked the time last."

Kitsune leaned forward until her face was a couple of inches away from Keitaro's. "Not for me, silly. You've been working all day so…I was wondering if you'd like a little relaxation time with yours truly."

The pair leaned forward and shared a tender kiss. Suddenly the familiar sound of a muffled explosion broke their lips apart. Kitsune gave an exasperated sigh as Keitaro groaned and ran his hands down his face, realizing the prospect of spending any quality time was dashed.

"I'm real sorry, Kitsune," sighed Keitaro, "but duty calls."

"It's okay…tomorrow, perhaps?" asked Kitsune.

"Sure…as long as we can get Su away from her workbench."

Kitsune laughed lightheartedly at her husband's comment. Putting the music box back in her pocket, the two linked arms and went back inside the Hinata Sou.

* * *

**A/N** – Six chapters down, several more to go! Sorry for the delay…again…but my schoolwork had seemingly increased exponentially since I only have about six weeks left in the semester. I've also been doing a little research on pregnancy, so I have a couple of ideas where to take my main storyline as well as a general way I want to end it. I have one small favor to ask, however: should Kitsune give birth to one child or twins? I'm having a bit of trouble deciding, and I just want to hear your suggestions on the matter. 

Well I'm tired, and I have an exam I need to study for that coming up later this week. Please read and review, and I'll try to have chapter seven up soon, schoolwork permitting.


	7. A Sister’s Arrival

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 7 – A Sister's Arrival

Early the next morning, Keitaro and Naru stood in the doorway of the changing room surveying the damage. It was fortunate that the damage was only superficial and posed no real threat to the structural integrity of the inn – the walls were blackened and several cracks were clearly visible. Given how loud the explosion was, the young manager would've expected something more devastating.

"So…what was Su's invention suppose to do again Naru?" asked Keitaro.

Naru sighed and sipped her coffee. "No clue. Su wanted to give a demonstration rather than going into the whole technical stuff."

"Is it just me or is Su starting to lose her touch?" asked Keitaro, rubbing the back of his head. "Nowadays, everything she makes either blows up, breaks down, or flips out and goes berserk."

"Maybe she's just trying too hard," she answered. "Her best ones were things that she made for no particular reason, like that Virtua-kun."

"Where is Su anyway? I thought she'd be at the table this morning as usual."

Naru shrugged. "Beats me – she ate her breakfast like always and said that Haruka had a favor to ask her."

"I see," commented Keitaro. "Well, I'm gonna get my things together and start now."

Naru stopped him, as he was about to leave. "Keitaro…we're all really sorry about this. I mean, this isn't what you wanted to do on a perfectly good Sunday, right?"

Keitaro smiled and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Besides, some spackle here and a new coat of paint and it'll be good as new – should be done by this afternoon."

The pair left the damaged part of the inn, readying themselves for the day ahead. As they entered the living room they found, Haruka sitting on the couch reading the morning paper with her feet propped up on the coffee table. Noticing the pair, she folded the newspaper back up and sat up straight.

"Good morning Haruka," said Keitaro.

"Morning Keitaro," said Haruka, removing her feet from the table. "I was just about to look for you and Kitsune. Got something important to tell you."

"I see," he commented, and then turned to Naru. "Hey Naru, would you do me a favor and get Kitsune for us?"

"Sure. I'll be right back," she answered, and walked off.

Keitaro took a seat across from Haruka. "So, what's up?"

"I got a phone call from grandma Hina last night," replied Haruka. "And before you ask, she wanted me to tell you that she's doing fine – she's currently in Australia with a group of bushmen hiking in the more remote parts of the outback."

Keitaro laughed. "Well, it's good she's still enjoying her travels."

At that moment, Kitsune appeared from the staircase. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Grandma Hina called," answered Keitaro. "And from the sounds of it she's doing well in Australia."

"That's definitely her all right," commented Kitsune, taking a seat next to him. "I wouldn't be surprised if she lived past a hundred."

Haruka nodded and continued. "She was wondering how things were going, and specifically how you two were doing."

"Grandma Hina should know that everything is fine," commented Keitaro. "Other than the few mishaps here…and the occasional explosion there."

"That's the thing I wanted to tell you," said Haruka. "Grandma Hina wanted to make absolutely sure that things were going to be taken care of…so she decided to send us and extra pair of hands."

"That was nice of her," commented Kitsune. "So, who's gonna be helping us out?"

"I'll give you guys three guesses," said Haruka, leaning back in the couch, "but you'll only need one."

Keitaro furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. He knew that grandma Hina just didn't send anyone to help out at the Hinata Sou, so that left out any professional help. That only left close friends and family…and since the majority of her friends were too old to provide any real help. Coming to this realization, a familiar face popped in his head.

"Haruka," said Keitaro, "do you mean…"

Haruka nodded. "That's right."

Kitsune gave a puzzled look to both of them. "Well, who is it?"

"My sister Kanako," answered Keitaro. "But shouldn't she be helping out grandma? I mean she's not as young – "

Haruka smacked her nephew on the side of the head with the newspaper. "Don't go saying what other people are and aren't capable of Keitaro. Besides it was your sister that suggested this in the first place and she seemed to be looking forward to it."

"Don't worry Keitaro," added Kitsune. "Who knows – it might make this place a little more lively."

Keitaro smiled as he rubbed his head. "You're right…I mean it has been a while since I spent some time with her, and we do need all the help we can get."

"That's the spirit," commented Haruka, getting up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get the Tea Shop ready."

Kitsune tilted her head to one side quizzically. "This early in the morning? For what?"

Haruka smirked. "Well, in order to keep Su from inadvertently tearing down the dorm I 'commissioned' her to help set up a new stereo system. If everything goes the way I think it will, the old place will have some nice music playing during peak business hours."

"Umm…isn't that more of a benefit for you rather than for your regulars?" asked Keitaro.

"Actually…yes." Haruka answered. "Yes it is."

"Wait a sec," said Kitsune, "Haruka, when is Kanako suppose to be here anyway?"

"This evening," she answered. "I'd advise letting the others know about the dorm's newest member – we don't want anyone overreacting now do we?"

"N-No ma'am," replied Keitaro, recalling how chaotic and painful his arrival to the Hinata Sou was.

* * *

Kitsune walked down the hallway with the others residents in tow. As they all filed into the living room, she took a quick glance at her wristwatch to confirm the time: five minutes to seven – Keitaro and Haruka should be back from the airport any minute now. Looking toward the others, she could see that they were anxious themselves. 

Motoko slumped back in a chair she pulled out. "So the dorm is going to have a new resident, huh?"

"Yup."

"I hope she's as fun as Keitaro!" added Su, who perched herself behind the couch.

"I didn't know that Keitaro had a sister," commented Naru. "I don't remember seeing her at you wedding."

"She was there but only for the ceremony and nothing else," answered Kitsune. "Grandma Hina asked Kanako to accompany her on her travels a few weeks beforehand, so she really couldn't stay for the whole thing."

"That's too bad," commented Shinobu. "It was really a beautiful wedding."

"Oh, it was a lot of fun," chimed Su. "Especially the part when Keitaro got perverted in the end – I've never seen him run that fast before!"

Kitsune winced as she recalled what had happened. "Yeah Su…I didn't think he could run that fast either."

"We're back," said a familiar voice.

The sound of the front door opening caught everyone's attention. Sure enough, three individuals came into view – two of them being Keitaro and Haruka. The third was a young woman that looked like she was in her early twenties – most likely this woman was Kanako Urashima. She had shoulder-length black hair; part of it tied back into a ponytail and was wearing an unadorned black dress with a white vest.

"Welcome back you guys," said Kitsune.

"Glad to see that everyone's here," commented Haruka, and then turned to Keitaro. "You care to do the introductions?"

"Right," he said. "Everyone, I wanna introduce my little sister Kanako – she's gonna be helping us take care of the place."

"Hello," she said politely and bowed. "It's nice to see you all in person. Grandma Hina has told me a lot about all of you."

Naru gave her a polite smile. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Naru Narusegawa," said Kanako, and then her gaze toward Motoko. "And Motoko Aoyama. Grandma has said an awful lot about you two especially. I hope that you haven't been making too much trouble for my dear brother, have you?"

Kitsune felt the temperature in the room drop a few dozen degrees. Looking toward the other girls she could see they felt it too, although it seemed it had a larger impact on Motoko and Naru. From the tone of her voice, it seemed that she was fully aware of the countless instances of physical abuse Keitaro had endured in the past – the fox girl knew that Kanako has every right to be wary of them in particular.

Su leaned over and whispered something into her ear. "Boy, she doesn't look like she's any fun."

"Now Kanako," said Keitaro, "whatever you heard it's all in the past now – you don't have to work yourself up over something that's seems…well…kinda silly."

"Hehe…that's right," commented Shinobu nervously. "Everything's fine, really – we've all been helping to take better care of the place too."

Kanako gazed intently at Motoko and Naru and looked back toward her brother. "All right…if you say so."

"Well, you must be tired and hungry Kanako," said Haruka, and began to walk toward the kitchen. "Girls will you all help me get the food ready and the table set up."

"Sure, no problem," Naru answered hastily.

Haruka and the four girls moved quickly toward the kitchen area. Kitsune got up on her feet and moved toward the remaining two. Keitaro picked up a suitcase in one hand and threw a duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Come on sis, we'll show you the room that you'll be staying in."

A short trek up the stairs to the second floor and a brief walk down to the end of the hallway is all it took. Opening one of the smaller rooms, Keitaro dropped his sister's things on the floor. Kanako took a moment to look around, then nodded in approval. She then approached the window and slid it open, the cool autumn air making its presence known.

"Just as I had remembered," she said softly, a small smile on her lips.

"Glad to hear it. I'm gonna see if dinner is ready," said Keitaro and left.

As he left, Kitsune leaned back against the wall. "Place brings back any memories?"

"A few."

Kitsune smiled, but noticed it looked like she had something else on her mind. "Something wrong?"

Kanako looked down for a moment in deep thought, and then turned back to her. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Kitsune raised her eyebrows slightly. "What is it?"

"As you might have guessed, Grandma had told me a lot about what goes on here through Aunt Haruka's letters. She kept tabs on my brother ever since he began his responsibilities as landlord, mentioning several…incidents." Kanako said. "Although it's been a while since something like that has occurred, I'm still a bit…_apprehensive_…of both Naru Narusegawa and Motoko Aoyama."

"Um…that is understandable, all things considered," said Kitsune, and hesitantly asked her, "but…what about me?"

"To be honest with you, I didn't approve of your initial behavior toward my brother when he first came to the inn – and I was very skeptical when you two started dating," answered Kanako. She then cast her gaze toward the darkening sky as her tone softened. "But as time moved on, I could tell you truly loved him and care for him and his well being. When you two got married…I've never seen him so happy before in my life. I guess what I'm trying to say is…well…I'm glad he has someone like you by his side now."

Kitsune could feel the sheer weight of Kanako's words as she stood there. Considering what Keitaro has been through in the past, Kanako had every right to be cross toward Motoko and Naru. But the fact that Kanako isn't venting any anger or disdain toward her emphasized what she just said – it gave Kitsune a sense of relief security that she is truly apart of the Urashima family.

"Thank you Kanako. That really means a lot coming from you."

Kanako nodded, and then walked toward the doorway. "Well, I think that's enough chit-chat for now – dinner should be ready by now."

Kitsune smiled as the pair began to make their way to the dining area.

* * *

**A/N** – Man, it's been a while since my last chapter hasn't it – that's what I get for going to college huh? The good news is that I'm finally finished with school for the summer, which means more time for me to write! Hopefully I'll be able to churn out a chapter a lot sooner than I normally would if I'm in school – plus I definitely have a sense of where I want to take the main storyline too. 

Anyway, I'm dead tired now – it's currently 1:30 AM here in Michigan, and I have things to do around noon. Please send me your comments and suggestions, and I'll have chapter 8 up ASAP!


	8. Crisis and Uncertainty

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 8 – Crisis and Uncertainty

As the sunrise began to bathe the Hinata Sou in the first rays of light, Keitaro stood in the doorway as he gave the now-repaired changing room a once over again. It had been nearly a week since his sister's arrival and things have been running considerably smoother around the inn. It seemed that Grandma Hina was able to provide Kanako extra funds needed to repair, and even renovate several areas the Hinata Sou, so fixing any kinds of damages in the future wouldn't be much of a problem. Taking a deep breath, the young manager began to make his way back to his room.

'_Hmm,'_ he thought to himself. _'Things sure have gotten a lot quieter around here.'_

This new sense of peace was largely due to Kanako's presence as co-manager. Ever since his sister came the old inn began to fall into a more stable and predictable environment – more specifically the absence of any kind of invention creating havoc and excessive collateral damage. Her first day as co-manager, she made it perfectly clear that there were some thing she would and would not tolerate as long as she was there. At first he was a bit worried she may go a bit too far, but after long talk and a lot of persuasion from himself, his wife and his aunt, were able to convince her that any kind of retribution on her part wouldn't be necessary. A potentially explosive situation was resolved…although the part of prohibiting any '_excessive_' activities was enforced simply because it was just fixed up.

It was good to have a little peace a quiet around the dorm…but deep down the former ronin couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Reaching his room, Keitaro slid the door open to find his wife and mother-to-be sitting in a chair and staring outside the open window. As Keitaro walked inside Kitsune looked up and, despite looking a bit worn out, gave her trademark grin.

"How's it going?"

Kitsune shrugged and sat up in her chair. "I'm okay…I just a feel a bit tired."

As she began to get to her feet, Keitaro immediately noticed she was a bit unsteady and quickly rushed to her side. Instinctively, he wrapping one arm around her back and grabbing one of her free hands with his. As she leaned against him, Kitsune sighed and gave an apologetic smile.

"Hehe, sorry," she said, trying not to make a big deal out of her sudden dizzy spell. "Guess I'm a little more tired than I thought."

"Well…maybe you just need to lie down a bit," said Keitaro, motioning to the futon.

"Careful there – you're starting to sound like my mom, and that's the last thing we want to happen," replied Kitsune, playfully jabbing him in his ribs to prove her point. "This isn't the first time I've hit a spell like this before."

"That was before this," Keitaro replied, laying a gentle hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry if I get worried but…"

"We'll be fine," she replied. "Anyway, don't you have some sort of seminar to attend this afternoon?"

Keitaro checked the clock on the desk and realized he needed to hustle. Making sure that Kitsune was okay he began to get dressed as quickly as possible. Fidgeting with his tie, he grabbed his bag that was sitting next to his desk and began to walk out. It was not until Kitsune put a hand on his shoulder before he reached the doorway.

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, she straightened out his tie and brushed some wrinkles out of his dress shirt he was wearing. Giving him a once over, she gave him a small kiss on the lips.

"Now you're ready to go," said Kitsune.

"Thanks."

Feeling a little better about his wife's condition he grabbed his bag and walked out. Kitsune sighed and walked over to the main window and gazed outside in time to see Keitaro emerge from the front and disappear down the steps. Turning away from the window she felt another dull ache coursed throughout her lower part of her body. Steadying herself, her hand instinctively rested on her stomach over the life within her as her facial features formed into concern.

"You're worrying yourself too much," she said softly to herself. "No sense in worrying others."

* * *

Naru was walking down the hallway making her way to the Tea House. Normally her afternoon would consist of catching up on her studies and a little relaxation when the opportunity presented itself, but today was different. She and the others were going to meet Haruka that afternoon to plan her best friend's baby shower – what to buy, what decorations were needed, the whole nine. Naru felt a bit of excitement – almost every party that the dorm has thrown, it was Kitsune that did the majority of the planning. She knew that a baby shower was long overdue, and it would be a change of pace to have a party thrown for her and not the other way around. As she rounded the corner she saw Kitsune with Shinobu in tow with a laundry basket in her arms. 

"I thought you weren't one for laundry," she commented to her friend.

Kitsune formed a weak smile. "Thought I could use the fresh air."

Naru was taken aback by how worn out Kitsune appeared. She was a little over six months pregnant and it was concerning to see her in such a state. As if reading her mind, Kitsune gave a playful shove on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," said Kitsune. "I'm okay…I just need a little fresh air. That's all."

Naru sighed. "Well okay, but don't overdue it."

"You can overdue rest and relaxation huh?" commented Kitsune sarcastically. "Wow Naru, looks like those extra classes you've been taking are starting to pay off."

Naru just shook her head in defeat as her best friend walked off a familiar grin on her face. If there was one thing she had learned over the years is that the fox will always have that last word in everything. Once her retreating form was out of range of hearing, Naru turned her attention to the Hinata Sou's resident cook and housekeeper. Shinobu was the first one to speak.

"Naru," she said in a low voice, "Kitsune isn't okay, is she?"

"Well…she really isn't one to verbally announce that something's wrong, let alone seek out any kind of help," Naru said.

"I'll keep a close eye on her Naru," said Shinobu.

"Thanks. Give us all a holler if something happens, okay?"

Shinobu nodded and walked off toward the laundry deck as Naru began to make her way to the Tea House. As she walked through the corridors of the dorm, she still couldn't believe how big it really is. Her late-night study sessions, as well as the frequent chaos that used to be a daily occurrence had virtually blinded her to its immense size. Reaching her destination, she was surprised to see Motoko already there along with Su and Haruka already do a bit of brainstorming. Kanako was already there…though deep down Naru kind of wished she wasn't. Although she didn't openly display any hostility toward her or Motoko, she could still feel a twinge of iciness in her voice whenever she addresses either of them. As she came closer, it was apparent that many of Su's ideas as gifts were being rejected left and right.

"But why not! This cold really come in handy and you can't find anything like this in stores," the young foreigner exclaimed.

Kanako sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The last thing we need is for my future niece or nephew to grow up traumatized from a automated diaper changer – especially if it decides to go berserk and toss the baby into the next prefecture."

"Sorry Su," added Haruka, "but anything home built has to be left out of consideration."

"Buuu," pouted Su as she sat back down.

"Glad you could make it Naru," commented Motoko. "But as you can see, we haven't accomplished a whole lot as of yet."

Naru took a seat next to Haruka and pour herself a cup of tea. "Did you guys decide what Keitaro and Kitsune would need, at least?"

"Of course," Haruka answered, tossing her the list she made. "Already made a list of essentials like clothing and other things. The only thing we need to decide is who gets what and how we'll hide it."

"We'll hammer something out," said Naru. "What about food?"

"That's easy," chimed in Su. "Curry and bananas – lots of 'em."

"No!" everyone shouted.

For almost two hours the conversation continued like this – ideas would spring up and get either approved or rejected. As the final pieces of the party began to fall into place, Naru began to wonder how Kitsune could whip up plans for a party in a quarter of the time it took them. She made a quick note on the side to ask her that after the baby shower. Suddenly the all too familiar ring of the telephone got everyone's attention in the room. Haruka got up from her seat and grabbed the headset from its cradle and put it on the side of her head.

"Hinata Sou Tea Shop, this is Haruka speaking," she said. "Shinobu? W-Wait a minute Shinobu, calm down, what's going on?"

Haruka's expression went from confusion to borderline shock and panic as she listened on – seeing the older woman like this sent a chill up her spine. Naru felt the pit of her stomach turn inside out with worry as her thoughts drifted to her best friend. Turning to the others and saw that they too were growing as concerned as she was.

"Okay Shinobu listen, just stay with her – I'm coming up to you right now!" Haruka exclaimed, and slammed the phone back on its cradle.

"What's going on Aunt Haruka?" asked Kanako.

Haruka grabbed her coat. "Something's wrong with Kitsune."

"Wrong! What happened!" exclaimed Naru.

"There's no time to explain – we need to get back to the dorm now!" she shouted. "Call Keitaro now – tell him to meet us at the hospital! Kanako get the car ready!"

Haruka rushes out of the Tea Shop, followed by everyone else. Naru grabbed the phone and hastily dialed Keitaro's cell phone number, all the while her head spun with what's happening. She hoped it's all some sort of practical joke Kitsune was playing on her and would suddenly appear from the back room with the others smiling in triumph at her latest stunt. Naru knew she was only trying to fool herself – there was no way in hell Kitsune would ever pull a stunt like this, not while she was six months pregnant. Naru eyes grew large at her last thought. She clutched the phone in a death grip, fear for two best friend's unborn child crept in her mind.

'Oh please…please be okay!'

* * *

On the streets of the city Keitaro Urashima was running toward the hospital, now only a couple blocks away. He looked back at his wristwatch and gritted his teeth in frustration and ran even faster than before. Nearly an hour had passed since Naru called him on his cell phone – he had no clue what was happening to Kitsune, but all he knew is that he had to be there by her side. As he weaved through crowds of people he was nearly oblivious to what was going on around him and as he rounded a corner, Keitaro's foot slips off the sidewalk and looses his balance. Falling hard on the concrete surface, he feels a burning sensation on his left hand and arm. As he began to stand, a sharp pain from his left ankle nearly sends him back to the pavement almost making him cry out. 

'_Dammit!'_ he thought bitterly. _'Of all the times to get hurt, why does it have to be now!'_

Despite what his body has been through living in the Hinata Sou, he could still feel pain. Fighting through the immense pain the young man forced himself into a small run, the thought if his family driving him to push on. Somehow he was able to keep a steady pace until he reached the hospital doors. Taking a moment to get his bears he began to make his way to the Front Desk. A nurse who happened to be standing near it quickly went over to him.

"It's okay sir," she said. "The Emergency Center is this way."

"What?"

"Your arm and hand is bleeding badly sir," she explained. "Also you were limping pretty badly went you walked in."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied sternly. "My wife – I was told she was just brought in the hospital almost an hour ago."

The nurse pulled out a slip of paper from the pocket of her uniform. "Are you Keitaro Urashima?"

"Yes that me!" he hastily answered.

"Your sister told me to keep an eye out for you," she commented. "Your wife has been moved to the New Life Birthing Center on the seventh floor – the south elevators will take you directly there."

"Thank you so much miss," said Keitaro, and rushed down the hallway despite his injured leg.

It didn't take long for him to reach his destination – getting off of the elevator he immediately spots Haruka, Kanako, along with Motoko and the dorm's two youngest residents sitting in the adjacent waiting room. The expression Keitaro saw on their faces her made the pit of his stomach sink even lower. Noticing his presence, Haruka stood up from the chair, a mix of relief and worry on her face.

"There you are! We were beginning to worry you weren't gonna make it."

Keitaro grabbed her shoulders as panic began to take hold. "Haruka what happened! Where's Kitsune – where is she,"

"Kitsune began to have contractions," Haruka answered, removing his hands off of her. "And…well…it's hard to say right now. The doctor…she said something about complications, I-I don't know…"

"Naru is with her right now," added Motoko. "They're only allowing one person at a time to be with her until you came."

"Where is she right now?"

"I'll show you where she is," answered Kanako, getting up. "It's this way."

Leaving the others in the waiting area, Keitaro followed his younger sister down another hallway adjacent to the waiting area. At a slow walk, his injured ankle was beginning to make itself known to him as a dull throbbing pain traveled throughout his body with each step. He shook his head slightly and pushed the sensation to the back of his head as best he could; all that mattered now is being by his wife's side. The pair finally stopped and Kanako motioned to one door to his immediate right.

"Thank you Kanako," he said quietly.

Kanako patted her older brother on the back in assurance. "I'll be with the others if you two need anything."

Keitaro nodded in replay, giving his sister a reluctant smile. Gripping the doorknob he opened the door and headed inside.

* * *

**A/N** – Hey guys! It's been a long time hasn't it since my last chapter huh? I know I said I'd update more frequently back in May and I was planning on trying to finish this story before I went back to school. Unfortunately a lot of things had kept me preoccupied that left me with a less-than-ideal summer to write. Before I knew it I was back on campus. I hope Chapter 8 will make it up to all of you…but I suspect I've already lost a lot of readers due to my hiatus. 

I still have a good foundation to work off of to continue this story, and trust me I WILL finish this story if it kills me. The only real hard part of it is writing everyone's reactions as close as they would while trying to stay true to their personalities – I'll have Chapter 9 good and ready for all of you to read when I feel it's ready for release. Until then, send me any thought or comments and tell me what you think!


	9. Regretting the Past

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 9 – Regretting the Past

Inside the birthing room, Kitsune lay in bed in pain as her contractions became more and more intense. Time had passed…how much time had passed Kitsune hadn't had the faintest idea. Everything before this moment was a blur to her – all she remembered was feeling sharp pains and crumpling to the floor of the laundry deck back at the Hinata Sou. She felt Naru's hand in hers as her best friend tried to comfort her as best as she could but it wasn't enough for her to put her at ease. Kitsune was frightened, not only for herself…but also for her infant child. She clutched her eyes as another contraction shook her body. She needed Keitaro to be with her now more than ever, and hope he'll arrive.

"Just hold on Kitsune," said Naru. "Keitaro will be here, you'll see."

The door swung open, and Kitsune saw the man she had married and the father of their first child limp inside. Keitaro was in pain, but that seemed to be the last thing on his mind at that moment as he now stood at the bedside, his face switched from pain into a mix of relief and worry. She felt him take her other hand into his and felt him cup the side of her face, stroking her hair gently. Naru got up from her seat and walked over to him.

"About time you showed up," said Naru, and then noticed his condition. "Keitaro, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," answered Keitaro, and gave her sad smile. "I always keep my promises…and I didn't want to break the one we made."

Naru nodded and reluctantly walked toward the door, realizing there wasn't anything else she could do. Giving the couple one last worried glance, she quietly walked out. Kitsune looked up at the face of her beloved husband. He smiled warmly at her as a brief look of relief washed over his face. He stooped down gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'm sorry Kitsune…but you know clumsy I can get."

Kitsune could only nod in reply. She felt another painful contraction, nearly causing her to cry out in pain. Keitaro expression changed into fear, and quickly called the medical staff over. They began to access her condition again with medical jargon she barely understood. She clutched Keitaro's hand in a near death-grip, as he looked on helpless to do anything.

"Keitaro…I don't how…I…I…" Kitsune stammered, feeling tears trickle down her face. "I'm so scared…

"I am too…but I'm here now Kitsune," he whispered. "Now and always."

* * *

All was quiet as Haruka, Kanako and the residents from the Hinata Sou sat in the waiting area of the hospital, eagerly waiting for any news on how Kitsune was doing. Haruka looked at her watch thoughtfully and shifted her gaze towards the residents. She sighed – they had been at the hospital for nearly five hours now and fatigue from the events earlier that day began to set in. It was an emotional time for all of them, more so on the dorm's two youngest residents. Haruka thought it would be for the best to have them head back. 

"Girls…I think it's best for all of you to head back to the dorm," said Haruka.

"What? Why?" asked Shinobu. "What about Kitsune and sempai?"

"Yeah, we're fine," added Su. "I wanted to cheer 'em up when they're finished."

"I know you do…but that could be hours from now."

"We all appreciate your concern for our well being," said Motoko, "but we cannot just head back now – not while Kitsune is in there."

"Haruka…we have every right to be here as you and Kanako do," Naru added, looking Haruka straight in the eyes. "Both of them play a big part in all of our lives and have always help us out whenever any of us were in trouble. Well now they need our support…and it wouldn't be right if we left now."

Haruka took a deep breath and sighed. Naru was right and everyone seemed to agree. They were capable of making their own choices, and it wasn't her decision if they should stay or not in the first place. It probably wouldn't have done any of the girls any good if they were to return to the Hinata Sou anyway. Deep down, Haruka was glad they decided to stay – it really showed how close they've gotten these past few years.

"Alright…" Haruka finally said, giving them all a weary smile. "Should've known been better than to ask in the first place."

Time continued to gradually slip by in the waiting room. Daytime gradually turned into dusk as the last rays of sunshine turned the sky outside glowed a reddish-orange hue. One by one other visitors began to leave until they were the only ones left remaining. The sun's rays disappeared, and soon enough the sky gave way to the stars above. Inside the waiting area, Haruka leaned back heavily in her chair and looked over to the others: Shinobu and Su had dozed off a couple of hours ago using their coats as makeshift pillows, while Motoko sat with her eyes closed in meditation and Kanako stared out of an adjacent window in silence. The only sounds that could be heard were from Naru flipping through the same magazine she had picked up early that afternoon for the fifth time, further wearing out the pages from her constant page turning. Haruka watched her with tired eyes and glanced back at her wristwatch again.

"Almost ten," she muttered softly.

"Hmm? What was that Haruka?" asked Naru.

"The time – it's close to ten," she answered. "So…how's that magazine working out for you? Anything interesting?"

Naru sighed and tossed it on the table in front of her. "To be honest…I uh…don't know. I started to read it…but I just ended up staring at each page. It just didn't seen that interesting, I guess."

Haruka nodded and turned her gaze toward the window. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she spotted someone coming out from the hallway where Keitaro and Kitsune room was. The figure, a woman clad in scrubs, noticed the group and made her way toward them. As she approached Haruka immediately stood out of her chair quickly followed by Naru, Kanako and Motoko.

"Are any of you relatives of Mr. And Mrs. Urashima?"

"We are," Haruka answered, motioning to herself and Kanako.

"You're their aunt, is that correct?"

"Yes," she answered. "So tell us, how are they?"

"I'm Doctor Reiko Sanada, the obstetrician that was present with your niece and nephew," the woman said, and then took a deep breath. "First let me inform you that your niece is doing fine…physically – she gave birth to a baby girl about a half-hour ago with no real complications. But I'm afraid, however, the rest of the news isn't all good." 

"What do you mean by that Doctor? What's wrong?" asked Kanako.

"As you may know, Mitsune went into labor and gave birth before reaching full term in her pregnancy – two and a half months early to be exact," the Doctor explained. "Because the baby body hasn't fully developed, she is extremely vulnerable to infections. As a precaution, she had to be moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to give her body time to develop." 

Naru clenched her fists in frustration and looked back at the doctor. "I don't get it. How could this have happened – they did everything right over these past few months!"

Doctor Sanada sighed. "There are a number of causes for premature birth. As I explained to them it can be due to infections, a weak cervix…but sometimes it can just happen. I can give you all sorts of medical reasons…but understanding why doesn't make it any easier."

"Can we see her?" asked Haruka.

"Yes, but only one visitor at a time for now," the doctor answered. "Both parents are emotionally and physically drained."

Haruka nodded turned to the others. "I'll go first. Kanako if you could…call up the rest of the family."

"I'll take care of it Aunt Haruka," replied Kanako.

Taking her leave from the other girls, Haruka walked with the doctor in silence. As she walked, Haruka gradually felt more and more uneasy. Stopping in front of Kitsune's room, Dr. Sanada motioned her to enter. Turning the doorknob, she slowly opened the door of the birthing room. In the bed Kitsune was sobbing quietly as Keitaro embraced his wife, although he too looked emotionally distraught. As she got closer, she noticed her nephew's left arm and hand was wrapped in gauze bandages. Sensing her presence, the remaining medical staff filed out of the room and quietly closed the door behind them. As Haruka approached the bedside, Keitaro looked up and smiled weakly.

"A girl…it's a little girl," he said softly.

Haruka gave him a sad smile and sat down next to them. "I know…"

The older Urashima woman looked into Kitsune's face and felt her heart tighten. Her eyes, once vibrant and alive were filled with grief glistened with moisture as tears trickled down the sides of her face. The once carefree and high-spirited fox of the Hinata Sou now lay before her broken and defeated. Haruka felt the bottom of her stomach sink lower than where it was before. It wasn't fair – it was not fair at all. She imagined that when her niece gave birth, it would be filled with happiness as the young couple welcomed their infant child into their family. Now it seemed that Kitsune and Keitaro's daughter could be taken away from them as quickly as she came into this world.

Haruka looked at each of them and sighed. "I'm…I am so sorry, you two. I…I don't know what to say."

"They took her…the moment our daughter came, she was gone," Kitsune sobbed. "We didn't even get a chance to hold her…to give her a name…we never got see her little face."

"We will Kitsune," Keitaro said softly, stroking her back.

"Keitaro…the others are still in the waiting room," Haruka said quietly. "They wanted to stay…but if you just want to be alone for now…"

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Keitaro…it's all my fault," she sobbed. "It's my fault…it's all my fault…I should've said something but I…I didn't want to worry you…"

"Kitsune, don't blame yourself," Haruka replied, trying her best to reassure her.

Kitsune shook her head and continued. "It was all that heavy drinking I did back then, right? Even after I stopped drinking like that, it was to late for me – the damage was done, right?"

"Kitsune," replied Keitaro, "there was no way_–_"

"It was, wasn't it! It's because I was so damn lazy and selfish I didn't think of what could happen! Now look what I've done!" Kitsune cried out in anguish. "How can you stand to be with me now! I've practically killed our child Keitaro! I-I screwed up and it's all my damn fault! It's all my fault!"

Keitaro looked shocked and pained as Kitsune broke down into bitter tears and covered her face. She tried in vain to pull away from her husband but Keitaro held her even tighter, pulling her closer to him. Gradually she gave up and continued to cry into his chest. Tears were forming in his eyes as he spoke softly to her.

"It's not your fault Kitsune – it's not anyone's fault," said Keitaro. "You are not to blame, you hear me? She's going to be all right."

"How do you know?" she asked weakly.

Keitaro leaned closer to her and whispered, "I just do. You just have to believe that she's going to be…for her…for all of us."

As the tears began to flow, it was becoming increasingly harder and harder for Haruka to watch. She stood in absolute silence not knowing what to say or do to help them. As her nephew looked up his eyes met with hers…and gave her a small nod in silence and understanding. Realizing there was nothing she could do, Haruka turned away and made her way back out into the fluorescent-lit hallway. Closing the door behind, she leaned heavily on the opposite wall and slid down on the floor. Holding her head in her hands, she began to do something she hasn't done for quite some time.

She began to shed tears for the ones she cared for.

* * *

**A/N** – I hope everyone liked this chapter…even though it was a bit on the depressing side. With school and everything going on, it's becoming a bit more difficult for me to write on a more productive basis – maybe I need to hire someone to zap me with a cattle prod to write, huh? I would've put this chapter out a week earlier…but I wanted make this a very emotional chapter for everyone concerned. Hope that extra effort was worth it. 

I'll get Chapter 10 up as soon as I can, but I really can't say when that may be. Hopefully after midterm exams are finished, I'll have the general chapter finished by the end of next week and take it from there. Feel free to leave me some feedback and suggestions – it really helps if I'm taking my story in the right direction.


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